


his favorite

by recommend_me_fics



Series: children [1]
Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Brainwashing, Children of Thanos, Gen, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Oneshot, Post-Canon, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-25 19:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30093690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/recommend_me_fics/pseuds/recommend_me_fics
Summary: thanos looked down at his youngest child and smiled.the smartest and the most obedient. his favorite.
Relationships: Hiro Hamada & Thanos (Marvel)
Series: children [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2214318
Kudos: 9





	his favorite

“I asked you once and I will not ask again, daughter.” Thanos pushed himself off his throne. “Where is the Soul Stone?”

Twisting in pain, Nebula gritted out, “I don’t know, Father. I swear it.”

Thanos frowned. ”How disappointing. You always were the lesser daughter.” He turned around and beckoned towards the shadows. “Come, Tensai.”

Clad in blue armor came a small, slender figure. For once, their helmet was missing from the set and Nebula received her first glimpse of her little brother’s face. Through the haze of her pain she filed away his appearance for reference. He resembled the Aoi people, a blue-skinned tribe of peaceful people. He had similar eyes, the same dark brown circles and soft hair even if he had pale skin.

He looked like a child, and Nebula cursed her father once more.

“Tensai, you remember your sister?” Thanos cradled his head with a gentleness Nebula had never been shown.

“Yes, Father.” The child murmured.

“Good. Open her memory storage and search for any mention of the Soul Stone. She had coded her mainframe so that I cannot touch her. You should be able to.” Thanos instructed.

“Yes, Father.” Tensai softly stepped over to Nebula. He held her trembling head gently and tapped the silver plate. It sprung open and Tensai drew out his tools. He began to pluck at Nebula’s wiring, making his way to the memory drive.

Nebula felt a prick and she breathed out shakily. She heard a whirr and saw out of the corner of her eye Tensai step away from her. Her memories began to project themselves on the wall.

“So quick. Thank you, child. You may go.” Thanos ruffled Tensai’s shoulder length hair. Tensai bowed his head and left the door.

Thanos moved to her side and watched her meeting with Gamora weeks ago play out. He would find Gamora now, and he would get the Soul Stone. All was lost.

Well, she might as well act like it.

“Why do you love them but not me?” Nebula asked, voice tired and weary. Thanos looks up from her memories. 

“What?” He asked.

“You love Gamora and Tensaid, but not me. You take me apart and leave me in pain again and again yet you’ve never once even glared at Tensai. Gamora, you treat her better than me. Why?” Nebula looked up, deciding that whatever abuse she received for this won’t hurt anymore than what he’s already done to her. She needed to know.

“Nebula, daughter. I love all of you.” Thanos tilted his head and caressed her side with a type of familiarity that made her want to cry.

“Really, Thanos. Why? What did they do? Or, what did I not do?” Nebula just wanted to know _why_.

“Oh, child.” Thanos murmured. He stepped to her, filling her vision. “I love you very much. It's just that naughty children must be disciplined, must they not?”

“I lost sparring with Gamora and you _gouged my eye_ out with a knife.” Nebula rasped. “How was that disobedient?”

“Children must also face hardships to grow up strong. I made you _better._ You fight with less pain, do you not? You are stronger, faster, less quick to tire. Pain is a necessary tool. Difficulty must be equal to pleasure.” Thanos moved back to her memories. 

“How lucky for Tensai, that he never fails.” Nebula said bitterly.

“You believe that Tensai is perfect?” Thanos grabbed a tool from the metal table next to her and began to tinker with her wiring. “Tensai is a child as well. He needs disciplining from time to time.”

“He has?” Nebula has never once seen Tensai not complete a task for him fast enough, not bring Thanos a new toy, not fix whatever was wrong with the ship’s engine.

“I found Tensai drifting away among the stars. He was more than less than half of my size at the time, and he was comatose. I am not sure what brought him out to space, as his home planet does not venture out to space other than for close satellites and primitive research projects on nearby planets and their moon. Regardless, he was solar systems away and I rescued him. Tensai was far from a good child then. It took months for him to learn to respect me.” Thanos clicked his tools against her plates.

“Tensai is from a primitive planet? But he is brilliant…” 

“He is indeed. His home planet is in a solar system rather untouched by foreign craft. I did send a fleet there a couple years ago to retrieve the Space Stone.” A spike of pain made Nebula gasp. “My apologies daughter. That expedition failed. I meant to send more troops but my attention was brought to Ronin. The stone is safe there and they are not strong enough to mount a resistance against me with it. I believe the time and mind stones are also on Earth, so I shall attain the power, reality, and soul before I go there. Getting the last three stones at once will be a wonderful experience.”

Three stones on one planet. And a primitive one at that. Nebula would have to do research on this _Earth_ soon.

“But enough of that.” Thanos welded the plate back to her head cleanly and sat Nebula up. “Tensai has been obedient ever since. He has surpassed all my expectations since. His weaponry and strategy are astounding for his age. He is considered far below a full grown adult on his planet, and I plan to keep him close. Unless he were to decide to disobey me, he will live in comfort. No pain for him is needed. Unlike you.” The doors slid open with a hiss and four guards marched to her. “You will receive training for your disobedience.” Two guards grabbed her arms and hauled her to her feet, making her stumble.

“...Yes Father.”

Thanos looked out into the masses of stars ahead of him. Space was black, mottled with purples and blues, sparkling with whites and pinks and yellows. 

“What do you think of space, my child?” Thanos leaned his head on his hand idly.

“It is very large.” Tensai said distantly.

“Of course. But what is your impression of it? Is it something to be in awe of? In fear of?”

“...I believe space holds many possibilities and opportunities, Father. Some good and some bad.” His son, wise and practical. 

“You are right, as always.” Thanos tracked the movements of a far away star, watching it, as the people on Tensai’s home planet said, _go nova._ His ship had a wide enough vision to see galaxies away, and he had planned to be ready for the star’s death. It was beautiful, the cycle of renewal in the galaxy. The star had had its life and would give up its energy for a new star. Balance.

The blue and white flames of the star flared out in its throes of death. Thanos imagined stars died in such a way as an attempt for attention. For someone to notice them once more before they became cold and ugly. 

Tensai had done something similar once. Thanos had been training him to learn his place, and he was nearly there. The boy had carved what he assumed were Terran letters on his thigh. Four small, simple symbols. Perhaps they were his name. 

Tensai had used a piece of metal he’d hacked off from his room with a hidden fork. He used the crude piece of iron to scar himself. It was beautiful, and it was the death of his unruly self. He’d submitted not a day later, tears and fits gone.

His son was perfect now. Obedient, smart, and methodical. Little fighting skill, but his inventions and tactics more than made up for it. Lovely to look at too, with shoulder length black hair and big brown eyes. Clear skin and svelte.

He was, in short, his favorite.

“Set a course for Nidavellir, Tensai.” 

“Yes, Father.” 

**Author's Note:**

> thanos likes to make names for his children based on their native languages. “tensai” means prodigy in japanese.


End file.
